Ballot box



Jan' lo,

J- FERGUSON BALLOT Box Filed Dec. 28. 1926 2 Sheetssheet l f l www Jan. l0, 1928. Y

^ J. FERGUSON BALLOT BOX Filed DSC. 28. 1925 JuDlcAL TICKET COUNTY T\ KET /7 l /Z /N/- STUD f attotmqcl' Patented Jan. 1270, 1928. y

BALLo'r Box Application led December 28, 1926. VSerial No. 157,595.

The present invention is directed to improvement-s in ballot boxes for voting precincts. n Y

The primary object of the invention isto provide a device of this kind so constructed that it can be locked edectively to prevent unauthorized persons from having access thereto. e

Another object of the invention is to provide a ballot box which isextremely simple in construction and one in which the same -locks employed for locking the covers vof the ballot and stub compartments can be used for maintaining the respective covers in unlocked position. d

Another object of the invention is to provide a ballot box divided' into compartments so arranged that the ballots can be deposited in a designated compartment and the stubs of the ballots deposited in an adjacent oompartment in order that the judges of election can, at the closingof the polls, check the ballots and stubs in a convenient manner.

In the accompanying drawings: .Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Figure 2.

The box is designated generally by the numeral 1 and consists cfa bottom 1, end walls 2, and front and rear walls 3 and 4, respectively. Corner posts 5 are provided over a licor.

Extending from the frontand rear walls 3 and 4 are partitions 8 dividing the box into compartments 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14,V the compartments 9, 11 and 13 being for the Figure 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

and have their lower ends terminating in legs 6, said legs being equipped with casters 7 to permit the box to be conveniently rolledk tions 8 and end walls 5 are strips 15 provid-v ed with grooves 16 to provide guides for the covers 17 of the respective compartments. l

These covers are provided adjacent their rear ends with transverse slots 18, through which the ballots and stubs are passed to their respective compartments. Also carried by the covers 17 and disposed rearwardly ol the slots are stands 19, the ones adjacent the slotsof the coversfor the compartments 9, 11 Land l13 bearing the designations Stubs, while the remaining stands have thereon such indicia as Judicial ticket, County ticket7 and State ticket.- This indicia may form a permanent part of the stand, or may be in the nature of a removable card.

lSecured upon the upper edges of the front and rear walls 3 and 4 are strips'20 and 21, respectively. Y

The covers 17 have fixed' to their rear ends plates 22 provided with perforations 23 and mated therewith and fixed to the strips 21 are plates 24, the perforations 25 thereof being adapted to register with the perforations 23 and at which time jarein position Vto receive the shackles 26 of the locks 27. In this manner thecovers are locked and access to the compartments by'unauthorized persons prevented. It is also desired at times to prevent the covers from being locked and to accomplish this the shackles of the locks are engaged in the perforations of the plates 22 and secured, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3g-of the drawings, itbeing obvious lthat when these conditions prevail the presence of the shackles in the perforations 23 will prevent the same from being placed in registration with the perforations 25. In

this manner the covers can not belocked by e i an unauthorized person.v n

Secured to the under surface of the covers 17 adjacent theirrforward ends are transverse cleats 27 Vhaving secured thereto clips 28 adapted to engage under the strip/20, as shown in Figure 3 oi thedrawings. These clips obviously stabilize they covers, while the cleats prevent withdrawal of the covers and limitrthe rearward sliding movement thereof due to ,the fact that they will engage the stri 21 when open. y f

Y From the ilbregoing description, it will b seen that a ballot box has been provided and atV upper ends, covers slidahly mounted for i if Y closing the open ends, said covers and box 10 having plates iixed thereto and provided with perforations adapted to register, and means engagedin the perforationsfor interlocking the plates to lock the covers in their closed positions.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

J ESSE FERGUSON. 

